The Devil Next Door
by Tatsumaki Aphrodite
Summary: Hinata finally decides to confess her love to Naruto but she accidentally professed to the wrong person! Now, as if it wasn’t bad enough, she’s blackmailed to be his slave. NejiHinaNaru AU
1. Life is not a Fairytale

**A/N**: I've been on ffDOTnet for a long time but this is my first Naruto fic. This story is kinda based on a TW drama called "Devil Beside You" and a bit on a HK series "Not Just a Pretty Face" and maybe a hint of "Central Affairs". Let's just say, I've gotten pretty inspired...

**Summary**: Hinata finally decides to confess her love to Naruto but she accidentally professed to the wrong person! Now, as if it wasn't bad enough, she's blackmailed to be his slave. AU

**Genre:** Romance/Drama/Humor

**Pairings:**

NaruHinaNeji

NejiHinaNaru

NaruSaku

GaaHina

& minor pairings… will be listed as story progresses

**Warning:** This story contains AU-ism, possibly a bit OOC-ish, no bashing (okay, maybe slightly), a lot of drama, incest, sexual reference/implications, and some boring business stuff. **DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ!** Or skirt around (that's what I usually do). You have been warned.

**Disclaimer**: Me own Naruto? Ha, and the sun rises from the north…

* * *

**The Devil Next Door**

* * *

It was a moderately warm summer-autumn morning, one of those days when the temperature fluctuates between two seasons. The birds still chirp in the morning because it was yet to be cold enough to fly to the south. Leaves on the trees began to yellow and flower petals softly grace the ground. It was just the perfect time to… 

"_Hinata-chan!"_

_A gallant knight in orange, with blond hair, blue eyes and an unsettling reddish tan, came galloping down an auburn brick road towards the gloomy Hyuuga castle where her stern family held the beautiful princess hostage. His noble white steed sped pass the collapsing bridge without a hint of sweat._

"The competition is growing stiff. We must do something in order to increase the sales and make a profit. Are there any suggestions?"

_The gallant knight—equally as handsome—drew out his long and shiny sword battling the giant, evil white-eye, pale-scale dragon, fighting courageously for the princess he loves. In the end, he successfully defeats the evil beast, proving once again that the power of the underdog should not be under-estimated._

_He held up his two-finger peace sign as he leaps on his white horse. They crossed the mote before the drawbridge lifts._

"According to recent statistics, consumers find our products slightly out of style. Our typical consumers are from the older generations, many of who are dying out. They would rather spend their money on food and health care than on our products."

"This chart shows a deep decline in consumer spending after we shifted our products away from Konoha city. We had bought our products back to the city but the sales were unmatchable to when it previously was before the move."

_The knight, who also was a prince, leaped off his horse and ran up the narrow stairs of the hollow tower. He pushed past the creeping doors, the disapproving fathers, the angry nobles, the chained servants. He pushed past the unsupportive words, the horrible glares, the hateful scowls, until…_

"Well, perhaps we can spend more on advertising and decrease the budget on manufacturing and employment."

"We can't decrease the amount used for supplies! You can drop the money spend on labor and services but not on resources. Without the materials, there will be no difference between Hyuuga Corp. and all the other half-ass companies out there. I see a bunch of enviable lay-offs in the near future."

"Hmm… what do you think, Hinata?"

_The prince finally arrived to the top of the tower, where the princess, Hinata, was held captive. He easily kicked open the heavily bolted iron doors and torn through the tangling streamers hanging from the ceiling. Finally, he spotted her sitting in her lovely canopy of a bed. The scent of flower petals dance around the room as he edge closer to his target._

"Hinata?"

_He brushed pass the thin, lacy sheets. Princess Hinata turns her head to greet her prince. Her long blue hair coiled loosely into thick curls. She was adorn in a beautiful lavender gown, accompanied by laces and ribbons. Her long lashes graced her porcelain face and he continued closer._

"Well, Hinata?"

"_Naruto-kun."_

_He slowly leaned in for a kiss only to pause. _

"_So, Hinata…" His eyes shimmer the bluest of the blue and his pearly-white teeth were flawless. _

"_What do you think we should do about the corporate sales?"_

"Huh?"

"Hinata, I expected an answer from you this instant!" Hiashi does not look too please.

Hinata looked away from the window, realizing that she had been off daydreaming again. She had been completely oblivious to the question her father asked and began to stutter, "A-ano… umm… I think that… that…" she stares at her younger sister, Hanabi, for an answer. Hanabi was idly picking her nails out of boredom.

Needing to think of something fast, Hinata spurted the idea she withdrawn from the last meeting, "We should have an office party in congratulating the workers for their hard work!"

The room was silent with the exception of Hinata's remaining echo. Hiashi's eyebrows knitted so tightly together, if a fly were to come between them, it would sure likely be squish into a flat raisin.

"Sales are steadily decreasing," His voice was at first calm but it sped into a furious bark, "so in order to boost it up you think we should back it by throwing an office party, which, by the way, requires a lot of time, money and effort, all of which, is in a low deficit right now?!"

Ears rang but no one dares to speak on the young heiress's behalf.

Hinata lowered her gaze down to her lap, biting on her lips knowing that she surely had made her father really piss, adding to his brewing frustration from the company's current problem.

All eyes are on her now, waiting for her to make a diligent comment that will prevent her father from exploding. The Hyuuga heiress wished that the earth would at sudden crack open and she could just hop in it so her troubles will all disappear. Better yet, her knight in orange jumpsuit would pop open from that small white door and whisk her away.

If only reality works like fantasy… None of that will ever happened though.

"Er… w-well… may-maybe we can j-just…" out of habit, Hinata's vision stray across the table towards her sister who was mouthing something to her. She squinted, trying hard to read Hanabi's lips. As usual, something quite obscure manifest from it.

"Eat cabbage?"

Hanabi slaps herself in the forehead. Why even bother? She should have been like the many others who had given up on her sister years ago. Hyuuga Hinata was definitely not business material.

_CRACK!_

Trails of sticky, dark brown liquid ran across the long mahogany table of the boardroom, Hiashi had spill his coffee. His face was red, nostrils flare, as his fists shook violent. He was seething with anger as he hastily rubbed his temples. Life wasn't fair! Why is he, the CEO of Hyuuga Corp. and head of the main house, given such a lowly, incompetent daughter while his brother, who is from the far less important branches, is given such a brilliant son?

As if cued, Neji broke the silence, "Hiashi-sama, if I may speak?"

All eyes were on Neji, the Hyuuga genius.

"Please, anyone but my idiotic daughter."

Neji nodded as he stood up, preparing his proposal.

"I did some research, checking the booth in the mall where a sample our company's products were distributed. After further investigate and from what I had witness, I discovered several things consumers look for before deciding to buy or not buy our product.

"Young females would not even take a second look at our products when they pass by our booth, let alone males. Why? Because our products are too old-fashioned, the colors are too dull. Girls these days prefer a more fruity, neon patterns as compare to the opaque, solids ones of yesterday. In addition, people these days look for inexpensive but name-branded products. It doesn't really matter whether the quality is long lasting or..."

Hinata stared at her elder cousin in awe, completely enlighten by his charisma.

Although he is only one year her senior, he was dubbed the Hyuuga genius at a very young age. By the age eight, he had started managing company's paperwork. By age twelve, he was fluent in five languages; had straight A's; manage to play four different instruments; and won gold medals for swimming, soccer and basketball. By age fifteen, he became the class hunk, having a new girlfriend each month, yet still managing to be on top of his schoolwork. He was the class president and valedictorian at eighteen and continued to succeed afterwards. Now as a sophomore in college, he can practically run the whole company while balancing with his social life.

Hinata secretly envied her cousin for she herself was never scholarly when it comes to school. It seems that no matter how hard she tries, in the long run, she'll always fail. All the after school tutoring, the overnight studying, the hundreds of dollars spent on "smartness potions", none of it had worked, not on her. And because of that, her socially life had suffered, not that she could've manage one, not with her confidence she couldn't. But secretly, deep inside her heart, she had never given up. Perhaps through hard work and a bit determination (screw luck!) she too could make it. Her foxy blue eye prince had certainly done so. Why can't she?

Hiashi clapped his hands, "It is good to hear from someone with a bit more intellect for a change." And on that cue, he glared down at his elder daughter.

"Hinata!"

"Y-yes, father?"

"Take a lesson from your cousin, Neji! For once, stop being a burden to this family!"

"Hai." Hinata's head sunk even lower. Then again, once a failure, always a failure.

"Such a disgrace! This meeting is over." The old, white-eyed CEO slams his portfolio to a close before thrusting it into his secretary's hands. He stormed out of the room without turning to the others.

Hinata stood up from her seat, head still lowered. The incident was too common, it happen in every meeting. Her opinion is asked, she states it, her father disapproves with distain. Then, after everything, Neji would come up with an ingenious plan to mock her in front of the elders. Her father, afterwards, will add to her embarrassment by acknowledging her supposed stupidity.

Hinata peered upwards only to see her cousin stroll pass her, head lifted high with arrogance.

"Neji-nii-san."

He stopped briefly, his back towards her.

"Hn."

His head turned slightly to give her a glare of disgust before leaving the room.

Aside from her sister, Hinata was the last person in the meeting area. Hanabi walks up to her as everyone else cleared out.

"Hinata, we really got to work on your lip-reading skills. Were you daydreaming about Naruto again?"

Hinata looks at her opaque-eye sister in surprise. Hanabi was five years her junior, currently a sophomore in high school after skipping two years advance. She looks a lot older than her actual age. There's just something about her that screams confidences, something her older sister lacks. Of the two, she was always the favorite; it was a tragic she was born female.

"Go figure. This happens every time. I just don't get it. What's so great about that idiot Naruto, anyways? I mean, he's such a loser!"

"Hanabi-chan, you just don't understand…"

"Tell me about it," her brows suddenly furrow, "You let Neji get the upper hand again! At this rate, he'll worm into our family inheritance at no time and you'll end up with nothing. Knowing dad, he might just do that."

Inheriting her aggressiveness from father, Hanabi threw her portfolio down in rage as she continued, "With respect, I'll call him nii-san, but other than that, he is just another filthy side-branch rat! If he thinks he can get his dirty hands on my money, he's got another thing coming!"

"I don't know, Hanabi, he probably does deserve this compa—"

"Probably nothing!! Hinata, you are the first-born to the main branch, you have the birthrights for this company. So get this in that thick skull of yours. I'll sure be damned if that outsider, Neji, gets his hands on it."

Hanabi took in a deep breathe, dropping her current façade. "You know what, it's almost time for school so why don't we just set this all aside for now?"

"O-okay."

_But wasn't Hanabi who started it?_

"Hinata, I heard you have an important meeting with the headmistress today."

The blue-haired heiress gasped, "Oh my! I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me, Hanabi." Hinata pick her things, ready to leave when her younger sister grabbed her by the sleeve.

"Hinata, take this," she waved a pieces of blank paper for her sister, "Write down all your feelings for Naruto on this sheet so you can clear your mind and pay attention at the meeting."

She paused as she noticed the tears by Hinata's eyes, "Hey, I'm not doing this out of kindness; I just don't want people to laugh at me anymore because I am related to you."

And with that, Hanabi close the door behind her.

Hinata smiled. Despite Hanabi's cold exterior, Hinata knows that her stringy hair little sister do care for her. She is truly grateful that Hanabi is still on her side after all these years, ignoring all the horrible comments made about her older sister.

She sighs. It was time for school. Maybe today will be the day that Hinata can finally confess to the boy she admired. She doubts it though.

* * *

_To Be Continued…_

Good, Bad, Crappy?

Currently feeling uninspired. Don't expect a quick update.

**Can anyone guess what produce does the Hyuuga Corporation sell?**

**PS.** This has been bugging me for awhile. There are pros and cons on listing the characters by the title and I mostly see the cons. So, for this story (and any of my other stories) I think I'll change the 2 character things around depending on who the chapter is about.


	2. Of Scary Girl, an Even Scarier Cousin

**A/N**: Sorry for the slow update, wasn't feeling so well during the summer, got depression or something. I SURVIVED MY THIRD NEAR SUICIDE ATTEMPT!! That's something to be happy about. Yay! (not) Yea, that's why I'm still here. (boo) Anyway, I didn't get as much reviews as I thought I would, whatever.

**Special thanks to those that reviewed:**  
I was gotta reply to all of you individually but… yea… my situation sucked.

_A Robbed Heart_- Thanks, you're pretty close… I think….  
_JGOG132-_Haha! No, nice try though!  
_winterkaguya_- Thanks!  
_Grim Vanity_- Thank you! But your anticipation is making me nervous.  
_Suki Wong_**-** Thank you!

**Summary**: Hinata finally decides to confess her love to Naruto but she accidentally professed to the wrong person! Now, as if it wasn't bad enough, she's blackmailed to be his slave. AU

**Pairings:**  
The main character thing will kinda change according to which character the _chapter_ is about… but I think I might just stick to Hinata and leave the secondary character as a mystery.

NaruHina  
NejiHina  
NaruSaku  
GaaHina (later)  
SasuSaku (one-sided)  
KibaHina (one-sided)  
& minor pairings… will be listed as story progresses

**Warning:** This story contains AU-ism, possibly a bit OOC, no bashing, a lot of drama, incest, sexual reference/implications, inaccurate information and some boring business stuff. **DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ!** Or skirt around (that's what I usually do). You have been warned.

**Disclaimer**: Me own Naruto? Heh, I hardly know half the plot.

* * *

**The Devil Lives Next Door**

* * *

Hinata sat on the dark blue bleachers with her back against the wall. She idly tapped her fingers together, a bad habit. She watched on and off as the other girls practiced for volleyball. On the recently waxed field, lines and polygonal shapes laminate the ground, implying that the stadium was also made for other kinds of field sports. The ceiling is about thirty feet tall, white with dimming lights. There are score boards, electronic and chalked related. Murals danced all around the walls except on the area where the giant letters, "Konoha Academy", along with the ninja mascot, were proudly scripted. 

They are stationed in the academy's second largest indoor gym, half the size of a football stadium. It was solely designed for the girls and their sporting activities after its recent renovation, while the largest gym was fitted for the boys' division. The academy and the two gyms were built over hundred years ago, long before the times of equity amongst men and women. The female facility was first intended for classes of etiquette but has long since changed when a famous athlete bought it for sporting purpose.

The academy was famous for its athletics. It had been a well-known sporting school ever since it was first established hundreds of years ago, but it was only anticipated for males. Students from all over applied to the school, hoping for admission. The school is very stringent, requiring high test-scores and beyond the average athletic performance. Sometimes, even Hinata wonders how she was admitted to such a prestigious school.

She sighed, remembering the atrocious whispers that followed her through the halls as she passed. Perhaps they were right when they said her father paid her way to this school. But why would he do that? It's not like he would give a damn about her; it's probably for his social status and publicity. It would sure be degrading if they found out that the CEO of Hyuuga Corp has a daughter that's untalented and stupid. Hinata's head drop just thinking about it.

Suddenly _his_ face appeared.

Every time, when her self-defeating thoughts persist, her foxy prince charming prods into her mind, combating the nightmares that await her. Hinata became lost in a labyrinth of her own imagination.

Without warning, a volleyball, approaching in a speed of 100 miles per second and accelerating, ground itself right in front Hinata, creating a giant crater—with a radius of 45-feet down—in the plastic seats of the bleachers. Had Hinata sat any closer to the field, she would have been crushed beyond the earth's core and resurface in New York. Before the befuddled girl had any time to react, the team captain waved for the ball.

"Hey Hinata! A little help?" Haruno Sakura shouted with her hands in the air. "Come join us why don't you!"

A timid smile crept on the shy girl's face as she picked up the ball and made her way towards the net. She really wasn't good at volleyball, but she decided to give it a try. She was, after all, newly promoted to the girls' varsity volleyball team after a "horrible accident" befallen one of the pertaining members.

As she moved towards the net with the ball at hand, Hinata counted. There was a totally of eleven girls, five in one team, six in the other. Sakura, who was in charged of the five girls team, motioned Hinata to join them. So Hinata occupy the space for the missing sixth member.

The ball came towards her once again in a rapid motion but this time she was actually in the game. As the spinning sphere edged closer, the blue-haired girl began to back away. Hinata then remembered her promise to her sister that she will try her best to make a good impression to her teammates; however, the fear of screwing up lingers in the depths of her brain. Struck between the feelings of chickening out, like usual, and becoming the least favorite athlete of the year or getting her teeth knocked out, Hinata continues to back away from the ball.

Hinata thought about hitting it. She leaped backwards, unaware of the expeditious girl coming from behind. As the flying orb whizzed downwards, the girl from behind lunged forth, slamming right into Hinata's back. Everyone froze upon impact. There was an utter silence, spreading into the almost empty field. The hollow bounce of the volleyball was the only thing that broke it.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU BLINDED!? CAN'T YOU SEE THE DAMN BALL COMING?" roared a heinous red hair girl by the name of Urashima Reiko, whose about ready to murder poor little Hinata.

The young heiress stammered, "I'm s-so sorry, U-urashima-san!"

"You better be!!"

Her angry bloodshot eyes made the bashful, white-eyed Hinata take another step back in the opposite direction. The thought of getting chewed by this incredibly intimidating person persist in the Hyuuga's mind. She was trapped, completely surrounded by the prejudice gaze of the other members. Seemingly from nowhere, Sakura returned to defend Hinata from the hostile comments made by big, unfriendly giant.

"Leave her alone, Rei. Headmistress Tsunade was right when she said this team lack coordination and teamwork. You are at fault too. You can't blame it all on Hinata when you should be the one to watch where you were heading," hollered the meddlesome pink-haired captain.

"She shouldn't have come to this school the first place!" Rei bellowed with saliva dripping on the corner of her mouth. "Don't think I don't know. The only reason this imbecile is let into our school is because her rich father bought out the teachers!"

Murmurs spread through the crowd. Fingers point toward the girl in question. Disapproving looks target Hinata as her withers into her cocoon. Her fragile knees shook, on the verge of collapsing.

Reiko fanned her flames. "Someone as weak and dimwitted as you will never be welcome by this elite school, so why don't you just giv—"

_Boing!_

The volleyball strikes again, this time hitting the predator right in her face. Almost immediately, her look of shock was replaced by the steamy look of anger. Her face reddened, either from the impact or just downright resentment, ready to combust at any moment.

"Hey!" The girl screamed in annoyance, "Which one of you bitches threw that!?"

All but one step back in fear. Yamanaka Ino, captain of the opposing team, stood arms crossed. Irritation knitted her brows.

"Quit your chit-chatting, Rei; this isn't the marketplace. We have a game to play."

Just before the giant red-head had a chance to rebuttal, Sakura inserted, "In this academy, we go about handling things professionally. There is no room for _anyone_ to bash another player's background, especially during practice."

Hinata stared at the two heroines who resisted against the fearsome bully. She was extremely surprised that these two girls, both highly respected, defended the honor of someone as unworthy as her from the most frightening girl in the whole freshmen class.

"Okay, show's over! Everyone back to their places and—"

A loud ring sailed across the gymnasium, signaling the end of the period. A loud groan emitted for the girls as they quickly ran into the locker room.

Hinata quickly changed out her uniform, not bothering to shower since she hadn't really played. **(A/N 1)** She stood outside by the exit of the changing room waiting for Sakura and Ino to appear. Sure enough the two walked out side-by-side.

Just as the two were about to pass her, the timid girl spoke, "Ano… E-excuse m-me…"

The two girls were caught off guard, surprised to see Hinata there. Her silence had previously cloaked her with invisibility.

"I-I just want t-to thank you… for what happened i-i-in the gym today." The Hyuuga girl bowed.

The pink-haired chairman of the student council gave her a light smile. "No problem, I would do that for anyone."

Ino shook her head, "Seriously Hinata, you have to learn to fend for yourself and improve your volleyball skills. You can't let some monster like Rei kick you around like that. You won't be so lucky next time."

Hinata nodded, "I-I know. S-s-sorry about the g-game."

The blonde open her mouth but she paused as she sighted the eminent being storming from behind.

Suddenly the ground shook. Thunder clouds gather in the female locker room. Gray filled the room. Shadows embed themselves to the monstrous gaze of the predator as she traveled forward. Reiko, the said monster, purposely shoved the tiny apologetic "brunette" against the lockers before marching out. The attack was unpreventable so Sakura and Ino had stepped aside as they witnessed the hateful crime.

Once it was over, Sakura gaped, running to help the Hyuuga girl off the ground.

"What is wrong with her?"

"You know what I heard?" a malevolent sneer slowly dawned on the blonde's face. "Yesterday, Reiko went to profess her love to one of the sophomores in the swim team and he rejected her, just like that," she said with a snap.

"She probably deserved it," Sakura agreed.

Full of dread, Hinata was reminded of her own similar dilemma. She didn't say a word of response, too embarrassed. What if she became the next Reiko? Not referring to her size but to her crush's rejection, her denied proposal. Hinata knew what her own problem was, the failure to deliver. And if she did, will she too be rejected? The rumors and gossips weigh heavily against her. Her eyes drifted to her hands as they tighten their grip on her gym bag.

"The boy is a Hyuuga too," Ino paused before looking at Hinata. "Do you know him? I think he has the same white eyes as you."

No, it couldn't be! Reiko was almost twice her size! And Neji is… hence her cousin…

Sakura intruded, "Oh! You mean Hyuuga Neji! I heard that he's on top of every class, he even corrects the teachers. He is also the captain of the swim team. And there are millions of girls in line to be his girlfriend, not just from this city."

"Not only that but even the bullies are afraid of him!" Ino exclaimed. "You know, he was even dubbed the Prince of Seduction online because he is just that hot! Eh… of course, no one can be as hot and seductive as Sasuke, but he came close on my charts. Too bad Sasuke ran off to join the circus with that creepy snake man."

Hinata noticed a slight twitch from Sakura at the mention of Sasuke. Is she still in love with him?

The loud speakers of the PA system sounded suddenly. With a tap of the mike, students involuntarily removed themselves from their activities to look up to the speakers for they had been conditioned so, many years of their academic career. Sakura, Ino and Hinata had also halted from their current conversation to see what announcements should befall them.

Shizune's voice, from the secretary's office, released from the loud speakers, "Headmistress Tsunade's meeting with the female volleyball and male swim team is postponed for today. Students who were called to this meeting are now dismiss and they are to do as they pleased… _outside of school bound_. That is all."

Hinata couldn't believe her luck. Is it a sign?

"Yes!" Ino cheered, "Let's go to the pub by the school. I heard they have a new drink, the fat-free mocha-almond latte!"

Sakura smiled, gently brush her cotton-candy-colored hair to the side, "Come and join us, Hinata."

"A-ano, maybe next time." Right now she has more important things to do.

Just as the two girls were about to turn and leave, the white-eyed heiress spoke again, "E-eh… Do you know when…" she hesitated, "when the boys' s-s-swim team finishes their practice?"

Sakura checked her watch, "Five minutes after us, I think. Why?"

She looked up only to see the Hyuuga girl running to the exit. Never have she seen Hinata run in such fast pace. Perhaps she did belong in the varsity team after all.

"What's wrong with her?"

* * *

Hinata huffed down a breath of air as she hid behind one of the gray stone pillar that supports the west side of the building, where the male division trained. There are two columns by the main entrance and exit of the boy's side of the building; Hinata happened to be behind one of them as she waits for her crush's departure.

The doors flung open and she watched as one by one, boys from different grade levels exit but she have yet to catch sight of Naruto. It never had occurred to the heiress that perhaps her subject-of-interest had decided on another route, such as the annex on the south side of the building, to make his leave. Even though she was standing in front of the main exit, Hinata has yet to catch on that it was not the only door of the building where students take their leave. And since the two part of the building (the girls' half and the boys' half) are connected, there is a big possibility that Naruto might have gone to the smaller gym to wait for a certain pink-haired someone and _offered_ to join her at the pub. That he did.

It had only been ten minutes but it felt like forever. Most of the members from swim team had left already. As Hinata was about to give up on her confession, this time due to technical difficulties, the sound of the door squeaked once more, giving her hope. She hid behind the pillar with her face redden to the color of a falling maple leaf. It must be Naruto. Her forehead glisten with perspiration and her hands shook; they wrapped around her shoulders for comfort and security. Okay. This is it. Today is the day worth to be mention throughout history books as the day when shy little Hinata profess her love to her long time, hyper-active crush, Naruto. And there's no backing out.

The blue-haired girl slowly glanced behind the other side of the pillar only to perceive a dark shadow heading towards her direction. She stalked as he strode closer. The column blocked her from most of his body but she can see part of his arm and his gym bag and… an orange wristband?! From her fond memories of Naruto, she remembered that he also had an orange wrist band, one that he usually wore. Such coincidence? Or perhaps this was really her crush.

Her hands shook again, as join by the rest of her body. Her sweating fingers jabbed together, a nervous habit refusing to break. There is still has time to run off and forget about this whole ordeal, she reminded herself… then she'll become the biggest chicken in the world. No! She can't! She has been avoiding this long enough and right now, it is the perfect opportunity. She must do this. For herself. For her family's dignity. For Naruto-kun.

But it is saying one thing is very different from acting upon it.

Taking one last breath, making sure that she did not take in too much so that she will faint in the process but just enough to bathe her face in an I-just-came-back-from-a-long-jog blush, Hinata step forward, away from the pillar, with head completely lowered. Avoiding any eye contact, she instead stared at his shoes.

"A-a-ano…"

Crap! She was so nervous, her mind just went blank. Her fidgeting worsen, her throat closed in on her. Her heart pounded heavily against her chest. Heartbeat throbbed in such a rate that it began to hurt. Fear rose to the timid girl's face. If she opens her mouth her heart might just leap out. Maybe it'll be easier if she just tore her pounding heart out and give it to him, he might understand.

His left foot tapped impatiently. "I-I… I lov—" Nope, too forward. Darn, she should've practiced this when she was waiting for him.

"And y-y-you are… w-we… f-f-fri-friends." She watched as the pair of feet began to turn away from her but Hinata grabbed him by the wrist, holding it tightly, determined not to let him slip away again. She began to wonder if her grip was too tight as she felt his pulsing vein under the pad of her fingers.

She licked her dry lips, "Ano, w-what I meant to say was… was…" she took in another gulp; _it's now or never_.

_Five seconds remaining. _

_Four… _

_Three… _

_Two… _

_One… and a half. _

**NOW!**

"I'VE ADMIRED YOU FOR MANY YEARS! PLEASE… Can we be more… than friends?" she whispered the last part.

There. She said it. A heavy weight has been lifted from her chest. She looked up at him, her vision blurred for a brief second before… she realized her mistake! Now, the feeling of relief is replaced by panic as she recognized her oversight. She messed up, big time!

Identical white eyes staring back at her. "N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n—" Her voice hitched. She couldn't get herself to say the rest of his name. So he finished it for her.

"Neji." Not _her_ Naruto.

There is a scowl on his face, obliviously not his best day, but it wasn't Hinata's best day either. In fact, it could qualify as her worst.

Her cousin.

Out of all the people she could have mistakenly acknowledge her love to, it just had to be her cousin. Not just any cousin, no. It had to be Neji, her big, scary cousin, who happens to loathe her and everything and anything that deals with the main side of the family.

She froze completely. Her eyes were opened so wide that her eyeballs can effortlessly roll out from her head as they please. Her neck was stretched forward and her voice had left her to her embarrassment minutes ago, yet her lips were still stuck in an "n-n-n-n" motion, refusing to stop. And until Neji cleared his throat and gestured her hands with his glare, she hadn't realized that she was still holding on to Neji right arm for dear life.

Hinata quickly remove them while she leaped backwards. Her face was burning with humiliation. She couldn't look at him. All she could do now is to turn and run. Run as far as she can. Run away from her extreme embarrassment. Just run… for eternity. Never turning back.

She concentrated on running, nothing else. So she didn't realize that she dropped her confession letter to Naruto from this morning. Yes, she used that paper Hanabi gave her to write a letter to Naruto, one that she'll probably never give him anyway but she still insist on writing one because… just because. As fate would have it, the neatly folded paper slipped from her bag and landed gracefully in front of Neji's foot.

The Hyuuga genius stared at his cousin's strange antics. Despite being a genius, he never seemed to understand what the hell goes on in the head of his simple minded cousin, ironically enough. She's always so bizarre and weak. What is her purpose of living? She is so useless and pathetic. She doesn't deserve to be a human, much less a Hyuuga.

He was just about to make his leave when he heard a crushing sound under from under his foot. He bended forward picking up what appears to be a slightly crumbled piece of folded paper. He unfolded it and began to read its content. The scowl on his face eroded to an evil sneer as he saw who it was addressed to and the name of the sender on the back.

Neji brushed his long, dark-brown hair away from his face. He folded the flimsy piece of paper and pocketed it before walking home. So, it wasn't such a bad day after all.

* * *

_  
To be continued…_

**A/N 1:** Yea, I was too lazy to write one but I'll definitely write one in the further chapter. It won't be anything explicit though, just sort of where all the girl talks take place.

**A/N:** The Hyuuga product will be revealed in later chapters, don't worry! Your reviews are highly welcomed and will definitely help with me updating!! ♥ But please remember that updates may be slowed because I am currently in college and something happened to me that caused me to be really confused.


	3. Two Rooms, One Bathroom

**A/N:** Sorry for the slow update. I was planning to update since January (when I had half of it down already) but I was feeling kinda down again because I thought the world was going to end (don't ask). My health/anatomy teacher said it might be some kind of hormone problem or something. I realized how whiny and emo I sounded last chapter so sorry about that too. This chapter had been written in a matter of months. I'm posting it now because I'm currently on summer vacation! I wrote an extra long chapter since I made you guys wait so long. The actual chapter is around 5,030 words, not including my commentary.

**Special thanks to those that reviewed:**  
I was going reply to all of you individually but I didn't because I am lazy and there are no excuse for that.

_Yasuragi no ki__-_ Yes, Neji and Hinata are the main couple. Sorry about my grammar._  
g r i m x v a n i t y-_ Thank you. I deeply apologize for not updating for so long.  
_kRaZyChangeoFHeArt- _00 I never would have thought that anyone would get what the Hyuuga product was since my clues weren't that good. This update is for you then!  
_soubifan700- _Sorry to have you wait 8 months for this update.  
_winterkaguya- _Thank you! "Devil Beside You" was one of my favorite drama.  
_vietanime- _Thanks for the suggestion. Hinata will improve and show everyone that she is not worthless later on.  
_cutexxlalaxx-_ Thanks a bunch :)  
_SasukeUchihaLuver- _Thanks you :D  
_Lazy one- _Doraemon!  
_Domini-chan-_ This story takes place in modern day. AU stands for Alternate Universe. Thank you for your support. I am having better control of my emotions now.  
_HeavenlyHuntress- _Neji is a meanie in this chapeter too.  
_Oker- _Is that a spam?  
_Sundari- _Lol. I don't want to ignore Sasuke's existence completely.  
_TheRecorder- _I am alive! And you review really made me smile.  
_garaXxXhinata69-_ Yea, but even I am starting to feel sorry for her._  
_

**Summary**: Hinata finally decides to confess her love to Naruto but she accidentally professed to the wrong person! Now, as if it wasn't bad enough, she's blackmailed to be his slave. AU

**Disclaimer: **I'm an art student with no money, suing me will do you no good.

* * *

**The Devil Next Door**

* * *

It was only a little pass seven; already the sky had darkened in a royal blue shade. The sun left while ago, shortening its visits day by day, indicating the arrival of fall and slowing to winter. The trees whimpered as they witness their feathered friends leave flock by flock to a warmer shelter down south. Withering leaves paraded through the soon to be deserted streets only to be carried off by the sudden autumn breeze. Bare branches scratched desperately against the warm, laminating windows of loving homes in hopes of acceptance. The transition was tragic yet beautiful.

Hinata withdrew her eyes from the dreadful scenery. She eyed giant mahogany doors in front of her. The undesirable doors of the Hyuuga main manor. Her so-called home. How long had she been standing out here? Even she forgot.

The rough chills from the autumn wind brushed against her delicate red cheeks. Her hands tucked in the pockets of her flimsy periwinkle jacket. The heiress closed her eyes, trying hard to remember the events that followed from when her confession was executed to the present. Still her mind drew blank.

The wind strengthen it's blow, leaves of brown and red swept pass Hinata's feet causing her eyes to withdraw from the solid doors to her shaky legs. Little fragments enter her. She remembered running, running nonstop without an actual destination. She didn't know where she was going exactly, just allowed her own two feet to take her there.

Before she knew it, the blue hair girl found herself in front of a small pub, the one closest to the school. She didn't understand why she was there until she peered into the green-tinted glass of the enormous store window.

The business was decent, nothing special. There are a few students inside, a couple cups of juice scattered throughout the tables, and a clerk at the registers. There was nothing particularly interesting about the scene Hinata surveyed, until her eyes caught a group of familiar faces seated in the back. Her nose pressed against the marred glass for a closer peek. There they are—a small group consisted of a pink student council chairman, her violet best friend, and an orange class clown.

Yes, the class-clown, more so her long-time crush, Naruto. He too was there with the group of giddy girls. Hinata continued to watch as he made a fool of himself. She watched until she could bear no longer and then she began her run again.

Hadn't they invited her to join them?

Tears pour from her eyes involuntarily. She was not upset by the fact that he is dining with the two girls but by her own stupidity. They had offered her to join but she rejected their invitation to search for her crush only to find him with them. Everything would have been different if she hadn't been so stubborn. She too would have been there, by the warmness of her crush, instead of embarrassing herself in front of her stoic cousin. The predicament at hand was too much to handle.

At some point after, she passed through the colossal, uninvitingly black gates of the Hyuuga estates to where she had left off, the front door of her family's mansion. It wasn't till a sneeze was she convinced to enter the building.

The butler opened the door for her. He was a man from the branch side of the family, the lower class. Branch members have the same white eyes as those from the main house. There was barely a difference between the two sides except for the heinous green tattoo that blight the foreheads of the lower class. The tattoo indicates inferiority amongst them. The horrible ritual of branding the "inferior" side had been passed down from ancestors long ago. Traditions, they say, were inescapable.

The man didn't question her when she entered. Her blue bangs curved to cover her swollen eyes, shielding her from the blinding light of the living room. The wind produced a tangled mess with her hair, hiding her tear stain face, but for that Hinata was glad.

Before she sauntered up the stairs, the timid child watched as a maid –also from the branch side of the family—walked out with a watering can in hand. This meant that dinner was over fifteen minutes ago.

Good.

All Hinata wanted to do now is to get to her room and sleep. Sleep and forget all that had happened today, leaving tomorrow to fret. Or maybe there won't be a tomorrow, that sounded too good to be true. Hinata shouldn't be so pessimistic; all she had to do was avoid Neji for the rest of tomorrow and maybe the rest of her life. Yea, avoid. _Easier said than done._ But fate always has something else planned for her.

* * *

As Hinata finally reached the fourth floor, where her room was, all she could think about is the luxury of lying on her nice, soft bed. As usual, her overly clumsy self overlooked the small details of her surroundings causing her to trip (more like dive) face forward over a small tear from the grounded red carpet.

Placing two hands in front of her in attempt to pick herself from the fall, Hinata perceive a set of feet standing in front of her. The slippers look so familiar and before she rendered who this person was, another voice answered for her.

"Neji! I think the lock on the bathroom door is broken. You should tell Hiashi-sama to get someone to fix it as soon as possible."

"!!"

Hinata swallowed hard as she slowly lifted her head and, sure enough, it was her cousin looming above her with his arms crossed stubbornly against his chest. His frowning white eyes stared her down with a nasty grimace on his face. The shyer of the two immediately leaped backwards to an upright standing position. Her blue bangs lightly bounced alongside her forehead while the rest of her hair was still in a tangle mess.

The girl nip her left sleeve with her dry lips as a way to comfort herself, only to look even a more-so like strange specimen in front of her older cousin. Neji arched one of his brows in confusion while Hinata widen her eyes due to fear. The staring/glaring contest continued with each moment more awkward than before.

A man walked out from the open door behind Neji. "Ah! Hinata-sama, when did you come home?"

"Hai," Hinata nodded, not answering his question. He must be the voice from before. The heiress managed to drop her sleeve from her mouth before pointing at her cousin. "W-w-why… why…"

The branch member, judging from the tattoo, smiled. He had heard about the elder daughter of their leader having speech problems, but he'd never thought that she was this bad.

"Your father ordered Neji to tutor you the work done in the office and the work done at school. He expects to see immediate improvement so he moved Neji from the branch house to the main manor." The man watched as worry lines appear on the heiress's face.

"Not to worry, the move is only temporary. Once you've mastered all that is needed from your cousin, he is to move back to the branch house," he spoke as if Neji was an inanimate object, devoid of feeling. Well, that's only half true.

'_Noooooooooooooooooooo!'_ If Hiashi wants Hinata to master all of Neji's skills then that means that Neji will never leave. Hinata is a failure, why won't her father realized that!? It is as if –Kami forbids—that the Hyuuga leader wants his nephew to live in the main mansion with them. That's impossible!

"B-b-but—!"

"Look," Neji injected. He continued his glare. Oh, if looks can kill! Hinata flinched at the thought.

"I don't want to be here either but I was given direct orders from the CEO. If you want to continue to disappoint your father, be my guest, but until then, I'm staying." With that the boy marched into his new room, slamming the door behind him.

Hinata and the other branch man were left standing in the hallway. The man scratched the back of his head uncomfortably in the resonance from the slam of the door.

"Well, I better get going then." He was more than happy as he sauntered off to the small, cramped branch manor of the estate.

Hinata stared at the door of her new floor mate for one last time that night before residing in her room. She wouldn't have mind as much if Neji's room hadn't been right _next_ to hers. At this rate, there is going to be a lot of problems. She can just sense it.

* * *

Neji sat hunched on a wooden chair by the desk his long, silky hair draped over his face from perspiration. He was obviously exhausted.

His eyes absentmindedly scan across the unnecessarily large room where his things are scatter. Truth is he has no need for all this excessive space. Main members just like to have more room to fill up their useless crap. Stupid bastards.

Slowly raking his slender fingers through his hair, Neji recall the day's event. It must not have been his good day for things keep worsening as time pass.

It was perfectly fine this morning. Like every Tuesday mornings, he and Hiashi's two brats are called in for a meeting in Hyuuga Corp where he demonstrates his superior business-marketing skills while he down-sizes the suppose heiress's self-esteem.

Neji worked for the company occasionally after Hiashi gave him a spot on the board where only main members were allowed, he was the only exception of course. Lucky for him, he only sees his two annoying younger cousins during the Tuesday morning meetings –the only day they permit in the company—mostly because Hanabi was simply too rash and Hinata was just too incompetent.

Things went downhill as he got to school however. As fate would have it, the entire swim team found out about Reiko's confession to Neji the day before. Yes; big, manly Reiko. Urashima Reiko with the hairy man hands and the ever-so-visible love-trail against her jutting potbelly and oh, not to mention the crooked yellow teeth that reeks with the rotting smell of meat. Disgusting! The girl, whom every boy fears, asked him out on a date. Him! Hyuuga Neji, the super-handsome boy prodigy (sad past included). That girl has a lot of guts. Literally.

(Of course, he didn't really take that a good of look at her because he was too busy scowling but the stuff the other guys say must be true. That female giant was at least his height and twice his width... almost.)

Boy, did the guys get a good laugh out of that.

The Hyuuga genius clenched his fist at the thought. No one listened to him today; he was the team captain for Kami's sake. It got him so angry and frustrated, his performance ended up suffering. He even lost a race to that imbecile, Uzumaki Naruto. Until today, Hyuuga Neji had never lost a race.

After practice, he had to clean up the locker room since those sons of bitches made a horrendous mess. They had janitors but it will be his responsibility for any damage done to school property. Damn Kiba! His royal horniness made a huge dent against one of the lockers when he was roughhousing with the other guys. Hence Neji ended up being the last to leave, scrubbing the mess made by the other boys. What made matters worse though, was what that follows.

Right after he left the gym, who should be waiting for him outside but his ever so weak and worthless cousin. Yet even she made fun of him. Or so he thought. Why else would she mock a love confession to him if not to laugh at him for yesterday's event? Who would have thought? She was too coy to talk to boys her age and possessed no brain cells to run a stable business yet she, in her right mind, would dare to make a mockery out of him!? That was the last straw. But lucky for him, he's effortlessly found himself some blackmail. **(A/N 1)**

His luck began to change once he discovered Hinata's confession letter. As soon as he got home, Neji received immediate orders from Hiashi to move to the main mansion where he will begin his dwelling so that he can improve the heiress's ability to run a company and succeed in life. Neji grimaced. Miracles like that will never happen, especially for those that are weak. Once a failure, always a failure. An evil sneer spread on Neji's face as he thought up a perfect revenge. What can be sweeter than the honey nectar of vengeance? Perhaps something private that goes on between a man and a woman, but never-mind that… for now.

Neji suddenly had the urge to stand up and stretch. He glimpsed over at the clock, noting how late it was getting. He grabbed a towel and headed straight for the shower.

* * *

Hinata paced back and forth in her awfully large room.

Imagine her luck; at this rate she'll win a one-way ticket to hell for sure, even if she didn't sign up for one. Well, technically, Neji is the devil himself, in swim tights and business attire. If Hinata hadn't known any better, she would have believed it if someone told her that her cousin was born from a volcano drawn from the mist of Styx. What did she do to deserve this!? She is doomed for eternity! Say goodbye to her short, simple life. She is only nineteen for goodness sake!

Calm down, Hinata. She is over-reacting. She made it seem like she's walking down death-row or something. It's not like she is marrying Neji. Hinata felt shivers running down her spine at the thought. Curses! She can't jinx herself like that.

Her efforts to avoid Neji were thrown into shambles by her father's devious plot to improve a hopeless daughter. He didn't even ask for her opinion, not that he would take it in consideration, but still!

Hinata continued her pacing. If she doesn't stop soon, she'll burn a long hole through the carpet she's treading on.

No. She has to start thinking positive. As a Hyuuga, she can't give up so easily. Maybe… maybe Neji isn't as mean as he seems. Maybe he had already forgotten about the stupid confession. Maybe Naruto really does like her. Maybe this is all just a dream. Yes, a dream. Wow, even she didn't believe the last one.

Maybe this won't be so bad. Hinata dreaded. No, it will be the worst!

A sudden growl that emitted from empty stomach distracted her from her current train of thought. She shouldn't have skipped dinner. The blue haired girl sighed before collapsing on her bed. She stared at the Hello Kitty **(A/N 2)** clock on her wall… it is only half past 8. There is still a while before breakfast tomorrow. The girl inwardly groaned. The only thing she could think of doing now is sleep. But first some pre-sleep preparations.

Hinata quickly changed into her pink strawberry-print pajamas, definitely not something she would have picked out for herself. Grabbing a random hair clip from one of her numerous drawers, Hinata easily pin her long hair in a bun. She gave a quick glance to the vanity mirror before rushing into the bathroom. _Her_ private bathroom.

It surprised her to see that the lights in the bathroom were already turned on. She didn't remember leaving them on this morning, but then again, she was such a scatter brain. It appeared that some of her stuff by her double sink had been moved around yet she did not heed to detect it.

She reached for her toothbrush then for the toothpaste behind the glass mirror. While brushing her teeth, she tasted the mint flavor of the toothpaste against her lips and on her tongue, secretly wondering if it was edible.

Hinata smiled at the mirror with careful precision after rinsing. However, she noticed a microscopic spot she had missed so she stuck the brush in her mouth and continued to scrub.

One thing she liked about brushing is the clean feeling derived from hard work. Unlike everything else she did, it actually gave her promising results. A good dental treatment is one thing Hinata is truly proud of. Never once in her life had she gotten problems with her teeth.

Smiling at the thought, she concentrated on the torturous drill. The vigorous fluoride action caused her to drop her brush in to the sink. When she peeped on the reflective glass again; Hinata noticed steam forming on the edges of the mirror. She reached over, wiping the glass gingerly with the cuff of her sleeves. The abrupt squeak from the sliding shower door initiated her to turn. What she saw next though could've easily topped all of the embarrassing things in her life.

Vapor clouded the room. Still dripping wet, Neji stepped out from the shower. Looking slim yet tone with a good amount of muscles from all those work-outs and training, stood the 20 year old… completely naked. Not bothering to grab a towel, he combed his sleek hair back with his long, slender fingers only to behold the scene in front of him unfold.

Natural colors drained from the heiress's face, replaced by the darkest shade of red violet. Animated steam streamed from her body, almost as if she was to burst into flames any moment. The heiress and genius met eye-to-eye. Hinata was the first to break away from Neji's nonchalance stare. Naturally, her eyes drifted lower until... that region. Neji made no attempt of modesty. She gawked and then her mortified eyes grew wider in realization. An unidentified noise tore out of her throat that sounded something like:

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"

* * *

The strained Hyuuga Hiashi studied the two figures sitting in front of him. One possessed a reddened face; her eyes were adverted away from him and the other figure. Next to her is a male clad only in a towel, still damped from his shower.

The elder man rubbed his temples. Nothing irrigates the CEO more than to be disrupted while he watched the horse race in his home office. **(A/N 3) **Which makes him wonder how his usually soft-spoken daughter manage to scream so loud… he made sure his room was at least two floors away, on opposite ends.

Impatient taps on the table indicated that Hiashi was not in the mood for games. This had better be something important. He loomed over his daughter and nephew. They are practically adults, yet from the likes of this, they had not fully grown.

The elder man cleared his voice, "What is the problem?" the question was directed towards his daughter.

"W-well… eh… a-ano…"

Not wanting to sit there for days, waiting for Hinata's sentence, Neji spoke, "Our rooms, they are connected through the bathroom."

"And?"

"We share the same bathroom."

"So?"

"So we share the same bathroom."

There was another intense eye match, this time between the Hyuuga leader and the swim team captain. The winner gets pride and honor. Veins popped out from the old man's head while the boy just remind composed. Hiashi flinched before turning his head. That was pointless. He is not willing to miss another horse race.

"Think of a compromise."

Neji narrowed his eyes, "This is not a business proposal. We are talking about a damn toilet here."

"Think of a system then. You know, when you two were younger, you guys didn't mind bathing together—"

_THUD._

The supposedly timid girl thumped her fist hard against the desk. It was surprising to see her so tempered. They two directed their eyes to the heiress. She stood erected from her spot with her chair lying lifeless behind her.

"I DON'T WANT TO SEE NEJI'S…" she grinded her teeth, "NEJI'S SPECIAL AREA…!" Hinata shouted, loudest she had ever spoken. Then she lowered her head again.

The two men gawked at the strange, once-shy girl, obviously for two different reasons.

"Well, set up a schedule then. Lay down some rules. Lock both doors when either one of you are in there. Divide the space." The main house member threw out random answers from his head. There are simple solutions, why are these kids making a big fuss over this? Oh, that's right, they are still kids therefore they lack common sense. How could Hiashi forget…

The grandfather clock at the corner chimed loudly, signaling the start of a new hour, distracting everyone from the current dilemma.

"Oh shit." Hiashi cried out before getting out from his seat, realizing that he had missed another horse race. He stormed out of the room muttering under his breath of how stupid kids are these days.

Pausing before he was completely out of the room, he turned to his nephew and his daughter, "Keep in mind what I just said to you and don't bother me with this or with any other trivial matter of this sort again."

The two cousins were left in the room. After the events of tonight, Hinata refused to look at her older cousin; instead her hands shot up towards her torrid face as she ran out of the room to make a smooth getaway. On her way out, she slammed one of her shoulders hard against the doorframe from her frenetic run. Pausing at her klutziness, her hand gently rubbed the sore shoulder. Then the girl sped to the stairs like there was no tomorrow.

Neji rolled his eyes before he too left the room. His cousin will definitely be a piece of work. How is she to run a business if she can't even walk out a door properly? He sighed; all he cared for now is getting his beauty sleep.

* * *

Hinata vexed as she stared at the doorknob to the bathroom. Her bathroom. She never had a problem like this before. She even set her alarm clock an hour early in case anything like last night occurs again. She inwardly shuddered.

She had always thought that the extra door in her bathroom lead to a forbidden closet. Never did she expect it to be the door of bedroom next to hers. She would have been more prepared.

Slowly she set her hand on the cool metal knob but she immediately withdrew as if the knob possessed sharp teeth, ready to bite off her delicate fingers. She pressed her fingers on the knob again. Her eyes closed as she gave the thing a turn.

The door slowly swung open. A loud _creek_ trailed behind it.

Darkness.

The heiress sighed in relief as she flicked on the lights. Good, it is unoccupied. This whole sharing-thing will certainly take some time in getting use to.

* * *

The sun had risen but Hinata was hardly enjoying it. She was busy toeing her socks in a hurry as an attempt to avoid her cousin this morning. Her morning shower was cut short to ten minutes as opposed to the usual thirty, limiting the number of possible run ins. She tied hair up in a messy ponytail and threw on a loose shirt and some jeans—the only thing that does not require her to think about matching.

A loud sudden ring emitted across the room, causing the girl to jump. It came from the alarm clock in her cell phone. Apparently, she had forgotten to turn it off last night after the whole incident. She stared at the black, rectangular flippy thing in her hand. It was a small device with a tiny slit of a screen for the time. **(A/N 4)**

Many other cell phones out there suited Hinata better than that one in hand but her father insisted –forcefully—that everyone in the estate to own a cell phone from Hy-Tech. After all, it was from their company.

Looking at the time on her phone, the heiress frowned. This was around the time when she typically got up every morning. There is still an hour and a half before school starts and it takes less than five minutes driving, while twenty-five minutes tops for walking. She stuffed the thing into her pocket before grabbing her bag and headed out.

Waltzing out of her bedroom, Hinata lightly close the door in hopes of not waking up her cantankerous neighbor. However, as she turned to lock her door, a large eminent shadow engulfed her small frame. The heiress shook. Biting her lower lip, she slowly turned around. Although she had a good idea of whom that shadow belonged to, Hinata prayed that it was a figure from her own imagination. Her keys dropped from her shaky hands when she looked up to see his face.

It was the devil himself.

Well, no, not exactly. It was Neji, her cousin, but he was damn close to being the devil in her book.

"G-good morning…" the girl swallowed. She lowered her head to avoid his intense stare before she squeaked, "I have to go."

Without warning, Neji's hand shot pass Hinata's ear, preventing her from escaping. His left hand pressed securely against the door while waving a very familiar flimsy, white paper with his right. He leaned dangerously close to her, forcing the indigo-haired girl to look up at his face. There was no more room to back to since she was already pressed against the door. For Hinata, this was definitely too close for comfort.

"N-neji-nii-san!" She choked.

"Read!" He commanded, moving the thin sheet around the heiress's face. Eyes followed it like wild dogs sighting fresh meat. The younger cousin's face flushed dramatically after realizing what was written on the said paper.

"H-h-how did you…?"

Neji glared at her with smirking eyes before he started reading out loud, "Dear Naruto-kun…"

"Please!" Hinata cried as she made an attempt to grab the letter. Of course, the attempt was in vain for Neji was faster. The heiress only ended with a fist full of air.

"There are no reasons for me to give this back to you, especially this easily," he gestured the piece of paper in his hand, now raised tauntingly above his head, far from the shorter girl's reach.

Yes, of course. Hinata knew that Neji would never be as nice as to make things easy for her.

"Then what do you want?"

Her voice echoed down the empty hallway, remnants of the question drifted back the Hinata's ear. She knew as soon as the question left her parting lips that she would regret it. And she did.

A malice smile stretched across Neji's handsome features. "What do I want?" He pretends to think to himself before he repeated, "What do I want…" Hinata began to dread asking that question. His long pauses actively distressed her.

"For starter, you can start calling me Neji-sama."

Hinata looked appalled by the _suggestion_. Neji's smirk grew wider from her reaction and he continued before the girl was able to object.

"You will call me Neji-sama whenever we are alone and when you see me with my friends or team members. Of course, I hope you know what this means," he paused, looking at her befuddled white eyes, "From this moment on, you will be my slave."

"What!?" the sudden outburst rupture from Hinata's usually quiet demeanor, "No!"

"Oh?" The boy genius raised an eyebrow.

"I can't do that!" Somehow, her hands had managed to grab a hold of the chest of Neji's shirt.

"Well then," dark clouds began to form behind the Hyuuga boy as he revealed his ploy. "Imagine this," he waved the confession letter again, "but a thousand of this, just fluttering about in the school grounds. All of your friends will have a copy. Everyone at school, many of them you don't even know, will be reading this. And that Uzumaki kid, what will he thinks when he read this off of some random stranger?"

Hinata gasped. The image was just too horrible to imagine. She will have to find a hole to bury herself in forever. Her fingers curled at the thought, unintentionally giving her cousin a massage on his pectorals.

"No, you can't!"

"Yes, I can. And I just might."

Hinata twitched uncontrollably, "Please don't do it! I promise, I'll do anything you want!"

Neji smiled, please to have gotten his cousin's agreement. He pushed himself away from the door, away from the Hiashi's failure of a daughter while removing her hands from the unaware grope.

"Good. Meet me at the boy's gym today after school for your list of duties."

As the prodigy was about to turn and walk away, he was met with another pair of angry white eyes. He sneered as he brush pass the little girl, Hiashi's other daughter.

As soon as he walked away (checking the wrinkles Hinata had made on his shirt), Hanabi stomped over to her sister. "So it is true!"

"W-what?" Hinata wonders how much of the conversation had her younger sister heard.

"The thing about yesterday!" Hanabi stated throwing an angry fist to the defenseless wall. The older sister began to fret as to how much of the bathroom incident had gotten out. "And it was all your fault," Hanabi accused.

Before Hinata can question what her younger sister meant by that, Hanabi continued her ramblings.

"If you had spaced out so much at board meetings, dad would have never asked, no, _demanded_ that rat to move here and tutor you." Hanabi crossed her arms in frustration.

A wash of relief bathed Hinata after realizing that Hanabi was only referring Neji's move to the mansion and not about what happened last night or any part of their recent conversation.

"Hanabi, I have to go to school now," the older of the two sisters pardoned, trying to get away as quick as possible.

"And don't even think about saying _'Hi'_ to him when you see him in the halls!"

The heiress nodded back but that was the least of her worries right now.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

A/N 1: This is what Neji thought Hinata's confession was about, but we all know better.

A/N 2: Hello Kitty belongs to Saniro and not me.

A/N 3: Remember people, gambling is bad no matter where you do it. So don't gamble… much.

A/N 4: I did a really bad job at describing that but that is the Hyuuga product.

* * *

Sorry if I have lost my touch. I'm getting back into my writing mode now. I should work on my drawing more.  
It'll always help if you give me a review!


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